The head of the U.S. Secret Service is easing restrictions on past marijuana use by prospective recruits in an attempt to boost the ranks of the agency.
Randolph Alles, the new director of the Secret Service, announced his plans Thursday to reform agency policy due to the growing prevalence of marijuana use in society. The director hopes that the shift will result in more than 1,000 new employees within the next two years. Ultimately, the plan is to expand hiring by more than 3,000 positions by 2025, reports CNN.
Instead of using the current strict standards governing past marijuana use among applicants, the agency is looking to adopt a “whole-person concept,” which gives the Secret Service more flexibility in hiring.
“We need more people,” Alles said Thursday, according to CNN. “The mission has changed. It’s more dynamic and way more dangerous than it has been in years past.”
The new standards for marijuana went into effect this month. Previously applicants would not be considered if they did not meet a predetermined timetable for the last time they used marijuana. Applicants 24 years old and younger were required to be clean of marijuana for at least 12 months before being considered. Prospective agents 28 years and older were required to be marijuana free for at least five years, reports The Washington Times.
Alles said the protection of President Donald Trump presents difficulties for the agency at their current numbers. Trump’s large family and array of properties present unique challenges for the Secret Service.
“There are more places we have to protect by statute,” Alles said Thursday, according to The Washington Times. “That and the fact that he has a large family. That’s just more stress on the organization. We recognize that. It’s not something I have any flexibility on.”
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